Shotgun shell carriers and dispensers provide the operator of a shotgun several rounds, usually located in a local container, to reload the gun. Some shell dispensers are positioned on the gun; others are carried on a belt worn by the operator. Many current shell dispensers require the operator to visually locate a shell by looking away from the target and towards the dispenser. Then, the operator removes his/her non-trigger hand from the shotgun, and using visual cueing, reaches for and grasps the shell with his/her fingers to effect its' removal from the dispenser. Then, the shell is manually oriented (rotated, flipped), usually with visual cueing, within the hand to align it with the open breach of the shotgun. A shell is then placed into the breach; this step can usually be done, with practice, without visual cues. At this point, both hands are returned to the shotgun, the target visually re-captured, aim re-established and finally, the trigger squeezed. The process is repeated until the target is sufficiently damaged and, in combat situations, until the danger is averted.
This reloading process takes time as well as a modicum of visual and manual dexterity. Thus, it requires good visibility to find the shells within the carrier/dispenser and also to orient them. Reloading further requires finger motion to manipulate the shell. The reloading task can be frustrated by obstacles, such as loose or bulky clothing, heavy gloves, low temperature leading to poor manual dexterity, anxiety, poor vision, darkness, heavy rain, fog, glasses, visor, helmet, night-vision goggles, heavy perspiration, rapid breathing, and the like. None of this is conducive to rapid and accurate shooting, especially when necessary to quell target danger.
Shotguns, at times of extreme operator duress, must perform efficiently, frequently in very non-ideal situations, like darkness, heavy rain, smoke, bright lighting, frequent close explosions of noise, and the like, in order to protect the operator. For example, the operator may be wearing bulky clothing (such as advanced armor) that could impede access to the shotgun shell in its carrier or a helmet, visor, sunglasses, and/or ear-protection, which could insulate him/her from tactile sensory feedback.
One common feature of prior art shell carrier and dispenser designs is the requirement to obligate one free hand for pulling a shell from its carrier, manipulating the shell, and loading the shell into the gun. These dispensers require operator visual cues and attention to find and retrieve the shell. This is very difficult to perform in the dark, while wearing body armor, visor and/or a helmet. These dispensers require fidelity, attention, and hand-to-eye coordination to manipulate the shell. In high-stress situations, such as a police SWAT mission, wartime, or terrorism incidents, attention, coordination, dexterity, and sensory feedback may be sorely lacking.
Retrieving a shell from the above described shell carriers/dispensers requires seconds and will almost certainly present a distraction to the gun operator. In one style of the shotgun shell carrier, where the carrier is attached to the gun, retrieving a shell requires the gun position to be changed to access the shells. This requires the operator to re-target and re-aim the shotgun, a process that takes valuable time in critical moments under threat.
It is a common space-saving requirement of current dispensers that the shells be loaded alternating base (brass) up and base down. This requires the gun operator to identify the orientation and manipulate the shell to facilitate loading the gun. A quick single shell load into the ejection port requires the shell be in a certain orientation in the shell carrier/dispenser. After a quick shell load through the ejection port, loading the rest of shells through the magazine loading port into the gun magazine follows. Loading rounds into the magazine requires a different shell orientation than loading a shell through the ejection port in the operator hand, which also means a different shell orientation in the shell carrier is required, unless the operator would turn the shell in his/her hand to get the proper orientation. All this requires time, coordination, attention, all of which may be scarce in an imminent threat situation.
For law enforcement and military activities, reloading a shotgun quickly, with little or no gun positional re-orientation, target re-acquisition and little time or effort spent retrieving and handling shells is critical, especially under stressful conditions. Thus there is a need for a shell dispenser that does not require the gun operator to look away from the target during reloading. The present novel technology addresses this need.